Aspects of Maay phonology and morphology

Abstract

This paper presents a descriptive overview of the phonology and morphology of the Lower Jubba dialect of Maay, a language of southern Somalia. The paper highlights several points of typological, dialectological, and theoretical interest in this language. For example, the nominal morphology exhibits a somewhat unusual pattern of plural marking that interacts in a complex way with the gender marking system. Where relevant, comparisons are made between this dialect and other dialects of Maay and Somali, and speculation is made as to the historical origin of some of the unusual phonological and morphological phenomena observed in this dialect.